Free Doubled Up (Imogene Museum Mystery #2) by Jerusha Jones

with slivers of pecan, apple and pumpkin pies on it. “Figured you’d want a sampler.”
    “ You got that right.” I grinned.
    “ Sleet falls in pellet form, sort of like hail,” Pete said. “Freezing rain is liquid that freezes on contact, and it’s the worst. Working the tug is treacherous in freezing rain. I hope it clears by morning.” He nudged me and pointed at the huge slice of pie on his plate. “Pecan is my all-time favorite.”
    “ Really? Well, there’s plenty more where that came from.” I flushed. That might have come out the wrong way. When I caught Sally give Mort a little side-long smile, I knew for sure. Uh-oh. Good thing Pete’s mouth was full, or he might have compounded my embarrassment.
    “ You know, sweetie, I hate to rush, but maybe we should head home,” Mort said, “so we’re there when the kids arrive.”
    Sally patted his shoulder. “I’ll just pack up some of this food for Pete.”
    I stayed on my bench, out of the way, since the galley was already a tight squeeze with three moving bodies. Sally heaped leftovers into containers and stacked dishes in the small sink.
    “I’ll help clean up,” I called, “so you two can get going. Thanks so much for all the yummy food.”
    “ You make sure to take some of this home, too, Meredith,” Sally said in her kindergarten teacher voice.
    Mort helped Sally into her coat and hoisted their cooler. “Weighs as much as when we came.”
    “ Oh, it does not.” Sally gave him a playful smack. “’Night, all.”
    A blast of frigid air from the open door raised goose bumps on my arms. I scooted out of my seat and stood next to Pete to wave goodbye to the Levines. I shivered, and he put an arm around me.
    “Boy, I bet the temperature’s dropped ten degrees in the last couple hours,”  he said.
    We stepped back, and he closed the door. “You should leave soon, too. There are extra bunks since the crew’s not onboard, but, uh — well, it wouldn’t—”
    “ No. Of course not,” I said. “This town already has enough to talk about.”
    I hurried to the sink and turned on the tap. “I did want to take a couple plates to the jail. I feel sorry for Val — being locked up on Thanksgiving, and a Lean Cuisine frozen dinner just can’t compare to a real home-cooked meal.”
    I wanted a plate for Terry too, but didn ’t want to open that subject with Pete. “Sheriff Marge or a deputy are bound to be around as well, so I thought I’d take extra.” I looked at Pete over my shoulder. “If you don’t mind?” I plunged my hands into the hot, soapy water.
    “Sally left enough to feed an army.” Pete came up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder. He spoke quietly. “I don’t mean to sound like I’m kicking you out, but I want you to leave right away. The roads are going to be slippery, and since you’re driving to Lupine and back — can you call me when you get home? I need to know you’re safe.”
    I turned to him, hands dripping, and studied his face. His sapphire blue eyes were serious. He handed me a dish towel.              
    “ Actually, how about if I come with you?” he said.
    What could I say? He ’d want to know who Terry was, and I might spill the beans about the gold in the statues. So many bits of research information were swirling around in my head, I was afraid something might pop out at the wrong time. I hated not being able to tell him.
    I glanced down, but Pete was standing so close, all I could see was his shirt front. I was suddenly very warm. “I — I was kind of hoping to have a conversation with Val, um — you know — I just—” I took a deep breath. “I know how hard it is when you find out someone you trusted isn’t trustworthy, and I thought maybe she’d need to talk about it. I don’t know if she’ll want to see me, but I thought I’d try.”
    Pete tipped my chin up. The crinkle-corners were back. “Then let’s get you on the road.”
    We quickly filled plates and